Big Baller League Challenges Primacy of NCAA, March Madness

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The NCAA should be afraid of the BIG BALLER LEAGUE.

One thing I am sick of, frankly, is the debate on whether college athletes should be paid or not, and it’s clear that this issue will never be resolved but that’s fine. Do you want to know why? It’s all because of the epitome of the parent coach, Lavar Ball. In late 2017 “Mr. Big Baller” himself proposed an idea, one that would have the NCAA shaking in their money grubbing shoes. Lavar Ball proposed a “Junior League” for high school athletes who did not want to take their talents to the NCAA, but instead to a pro-athlete organization. This league would pay these athletes anywhere from “$3,000 to $10,000 per month,” a staunch increase from the $0 dollars they’d legally make in the NCAA.

To some this “slight” monetary compensation doesn’t compare to the chance at a “college education.” But that whole idea’s kind of stupid when you think about it because the athletes that would go to this “Big Baller League” wouldn’t be your four year student athletes. Instead, it would be the bonafide stars of high school basketball; The Zion Williamson’s and the Lamelo Ball’s, not your Ivy League bench riding players like Reed Farley. In this league would be the future NBA stars who wouldn’t receive compensation for their talents, and the money they bring into the NCAA year to year during March Madness.

The NCAA in truth is just a formality that many players must go through in order to reach the NBA. The “One and Done Rule” instituted by former commissioner of the NBA, David Stern, only allows players to declare for the NBA draft once they are “19 years of age or older.” This creates a system by which many players only go to the college level because they have to, not because they want to.

Former LSU forward and starting point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons went on record saying, in regards to what collegiate athletes get out of their time in college, “They say education, but if I’m there for a year, I can’t get much education.” This is a sentiment shared by many other former NCAA and NBA athletes such as Jerryd Bayless, and Greg Oden.

The NCAA doesn’t provide much for these athletes and with the introduction of this “Junior League” the whole foundation on which the NCAA is built upon will crumble. This is because if this league is feasible and the big name high school players drift away from going to the college level and to this league instead the whole concept behind March Madness is lost. March Madness is less about the sport and more about the teams. It’s about the best of the best in college basketball playing cut throat games to establish who is the best, however, if the best players aren’t in your tournament who cares about the second best. Why would people continue to tune in to TBS to watch mediocrity when they can tune into the Big Baller League to watch Vernon Carey Jr. and James Wiseman go neck and neck trying to assert themselves as the most dominant big man not in the NBA.

The Big Baller League is still just a concept at the moment though, no big name players, no television deals, no teams. So the NCAA should be fine, right? No. As stated earlier the “$3,000 to $10,000” is more than collegiate athletes make legally, however, the FBI recently released astounding evidence that many of these college hoopers are getting cut a check. Star Arizona freshman Deandre Ayton was paid “$100,000” to “ensure” that he “signed with the Wildcats.” Now it might just be me but if the FBI is cracking down on player payments in the NCAA and a new league is being created that can legally provide you with the same amount, maybe just maybe, that league sounds like the better option. It has yet to be seen, however, a proof of concept and any real financial backing from Lavar Ball for his league, but really only time will tell whether this Big Baller League is a Big Bust or not.